Cheering for Charleston

We made it to Charleston late Saturday afternoon.  Hooray!  We love it here.  It's so nice to be back in the deep South again.  Maryland and Virginia just think they're in the South.  North Carolina was getting close, but here it's the real deal.  Everyone talks with a little drawl, even the chic people.  There are lots of chic people here.  There are many reminders of SEC football everywhere.  Grits are a regular side item.  Everyone says hello, everyone.  I hear 'ya'll' a lot.  My people.  Ahh.

Yesterday we let the kids get out some energy at a nearby playground, then we explored the Children's Museum here.  We let Evan skip his nap.  He did great.  Both of them did, considering how much we walked and how hot and humid it is.  There's an open air market, much like the straw market in Nassau, close by.  We walked through there checking out the loot.  We got the kids t-shirts and stuff.  We ended up at a street festival and found ourselves at a Mellow Mushroom for dinner.  The kids and I took a pedi-cab (rickshaw) back to the boat.  That was such fun that the kids proclaimed it to be way better than a regular cab.  The guy on the bicycle just laughed.

Zachary at the helm of the pirate ship at the Children's Museum.

This is where I keep Ryan until I need him for something.

 Sometimes the kids have to go to jail.

This little piggy is turning 3 in a week and a half.  Hopefully my Thomas the Train cake will look better than my botched Star Wars & Sailboats cake.  I think I'm strong enough again to face the temptation of the cake.  I think.

Today we are going to the aquarium.  Later this afternoon we'll go to one of those open fountains that kids get to play in.   We originally thought we'd have a weather window to head offshore tomorrow, but that window is closing in on us.   Instead, we'll take the ICW again just to get some miles under us while we wait for a weather window.  Ryan changes the story frequently, and I'm usually barely paying attention, so I'm not sure exactly what's going on.  When I'm not doing my Mommy or First Mate duties (often they overlap) I'm devouring every book I can get my hands on.  I love love love to read, and rarely get time for it at home, so this is just heavenly.  Usually Ryan is figuring out "the plan" of where we're going next at the end of the day while I'm engrossed in my latest book.  After a day of kid/first mate duties I just love the escape, so I utter "un huh, sounds good honey" a lot and really don't know what he's saying.  Just going with the flow, that's me.